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The Middle East conflict intensified again after the United States and Iran exchanged strikes for a second straight day, culminating in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the first confirmed third-country deaths linked to the fighting. We'll also cover a major Florida redistricting ruling, escalating unrest in Northern Ireland, new student-loan changes affecting millions of borrowers, and why investors are closely watching both the ECB and SpaceX this week.

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The United States and Iran exchanged strikes for a second consecutive day Wednesday, with CENTCOM confirming new hits on Iranian military surveillance systems, communications networks, and air defense sites. Iran's IRGC retaliated with drone attacks on US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan — then declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to all commercial and oil shipping.

Three Indian sailors were confirmed dead after a US missile struck a tanker near Oman, drawing New Delhi into the diplomatic fallout. India demanded answers as its citizens became the first third-country casualties of the conflict.

 The Florida Supreme Court allowed Republican-drawn U.S. House districts to be used in this year's midterm elections — another piece of the GOP's national redistricting push. The ruling fits into a broader effort to defend the party's narrow House majority through mid-cycle map revisions in multiple states. 

 Democrats had challenged the map as a partisan gerrymander, but the court declined to block it before November. With control of the House expected to come down to a handful of seats, Florida's lines could prove decisive. 

A second consecutive night of anti-immigration violence swept Belfast and several other Northern Ireland cities Wednesday, injuring 12 police officers and prompting water cannon deployment. Riots were triggered by a stabbing attack linked to a Sudanese asylum seeker that left a Belfast man blind in one eye.

UK political leaders called for calm as fear spread through ethnic minority communities across the region. Northern Ireland's secretary warned that violence was targeting vulnerable people already under enormous stress.

At least 15 people died as Pakistani security forces clashed with thousands of protesters marching in Azad Kashmir, demanding political autonomy and economic relief. Authorities declared a lockdown across several districts following the deadliest unrest in the region in years.

Amnesty International released a report accusing the Israeli government of carrying out "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank through forced displacement, home demolitions, and settler violence. Israel rejected the findings as false and politically motivated.

Pope Leo traveled to the Canary Islands Wednesday to draw global attention to the thousands of West African migrants making deadly sea crossings to reach Europe. His visit included meetings with survivors and local officials pressing for a coordinated EU response.

 Federal agents searched an Orange County, California facility where a chemical tank recently overheated and came close to exploding, looking for records that might explain the incident. Local officials had warned the failure could have triggered a catastrophic release.

Major changes to federal student loans kick in July 1, including new borrowing limits and the discontinuation of a popular income-driven repayment plan. Millions of borrowers who take no action will automatically be moved into a default plan.

 The head of Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment before a House Republican panel, declining to answer whether the group misled Congress over its vetting of foreign donations. Republicans have pursued the platform for months as part of a broader probe into online political giving. 

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The European Central Bank raised its deposit rate 25 basis points to 2.25% Wednesday — its first hike in nearly three years — as Iran war-driven energy costs pushed eurozone inflation sharply higher. Markets had already anticipated the decision, pricing in a 91% chance of a hike; analysts now forecast up to three more in 2026.

British retail group Frasers launched a €2 billion all-cash offer for Hugo Boss at €38 per share — a modest premium that still pushed Hugo Boss shares up 7%. Already the brand's largest shareholder, Frasers expects the deal to close in the second half of 2026.

SpaceX set its Nasdaq IPO price at $135 per share under ticker SPCX, with perpetual futures trading near $162 and pointing to a roughly 20% first-day gain. Unusually, SpaceX reserved for retail investors 30% of its offering — triple the industry norm — ahead of Friday's debut.

 New data shows finerenone protects kidney function and cuts major cardiovascular risks in chronic kidney disease patients who don't have diabetes — a group previously left out of the drug's approved uses. Chronic kidney disease affects roughly 800 million people globally.

Rocks ferried from Greenland and Russian glaciers by icebergs are sinking to the Arctic seafloor as the ice melts, creating new habitat for corals, sponges, and other deep-sea life. Climate change is accelerating glacier flow, paradoxically creating unexpected deep-sea biodiversity hotspots even as the broader Arctic ecosystem destabilizes.

A free platform called Journal Trends lets researchers enter a journal ID to flag suspicious publishing patterns — like sudden spikes in papers from a single country suggesting bypassed peer review. Built from OpenAlex data, Journal Trends could protect researchers from submitting to predatory outlets before their work is damaged.

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off Wednesday with Mexico hosting South Africa at the Estadio Azteca — a rematch of the tournament's 2010 opening fixture. Shakira and Burna Boy performed the official anthem "Dai Dai" at the opening ceremony in Mexico City.

New York rallied from 29 points down to beat the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 in Game 4 — the largest comeback in NBA Finals history. OG Anunoby's tip-in with 1.2 seconds left clinched the win; Game 5 is Saturday night in San Antonio.

 The Chiefs reworked Patrick Mahomes' contract into a deal running through 2033 that pays him an NFL-best $64 million per year — making him the league's first half-billion-dollar player. Andy Reid presumably keeps his clipboard.

Sony is developing "24 Jump Street" with Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, and Ice Cube in talks to return, and "22 Jump Street" director Rodney Rothman set to helm. Lord and Miller are back as producers; Tatum's deal is not yet signed.

The Academy will honor Glenn Close (eight nominations, zero wins) and director Ridley Scott (three nominations, zero wins) with Honorary Oscars at the 17th Governors Awards on November 15. Killer Films founders Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler will receive the Thalberg Award for their independent film legacy.

 Steven Spielberg told a podcast that Bond producers repeatedly turned him down when he asked to direct a 007 film, including a personal plea to Cubby Broccoli after "Jaws." Asked if he would do it now, he said: "You can't afford me." 

 What it is: Growing evidence suggests the jobs most at risk from AI aren't the creative or coding roles that dominate the discourse. It's the back-office work that quietly keeps American companies running — HR, billing, payroll, claims processing, accounts payable. 

 The detail: These roles share a profile AI is unusually well-suited to absorb: structured data, repetitive workflows, clear rules, outputs that can be checked against a database. Vendors are selling agents that handle benefits enrollment, reconcile invoices, and draft employee communications end-to-end. Pilots at large employers are already trimming headcount through attrition rather than layoffs — which makes the shift harder to see in the monthly jobs report. 

 Why it matters: Back-office work has long been a ladder into the middle class, particularly for women, who hold the majority of these positions. If even a fraction of the roles disappear over the next five years, the disruption lands disproportionately on workers without four-year degrees and on regions where corporate processing centers serve as anchor employers. Unlike the manufacturing shock of the 2000s, there isn't an obvious next sector ready to absorb the displaced. 

 What to watch: Whether large employers start disclosing AI-driven workforce reductions on earnings calls, whether wage growth in administrative roles flattens, and whether policymakers update training and safety-net programs to reflect a white-collar transition. The early signals will show up in quarterly hiring data long before they show up in headlines. 

- A son asked Google Gemini about his mother's $100 thrift-store painting, the chatbot had thoughts, and the canvas just sold for more than $250,000. Finally, an AI use case grandma will respect.

- Firefighters in New York rescued a horse that became trapped on a divider inside its trailer, using specialized equipment and careful maneuvering to free the animal without serious injury.

- A skunk spotted wandering along a road in Fife, Scotland, prompted a search by animal rescuers, who believe the animal escaped from captivity and are working to locate its owner.

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—The Five Minute Daily Team